Hand-operated, combination snow shovel and plow tool



Dec. 29, 1959 P. B. BENTON 2,919,153

HAND-OPERATED, COMBINATION SNOW SHOVEL AND PLOW TOOL Filed J ime 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 5.

INVENTOR Paul .B. Benz 0n ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1959 P. B. BENTON 2,919,153

HAND-OPERATED, COMBINATION SNOW SHOVEL AND PLOW TOOL Filed June 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Pa ul B Ben Zon ATTORNEY United States Patent HAND-OPERATED, COlVIBINAT ION SNOW SHOVEL AND PLOW TOOL Paul B. Benton, Columbus, Ohio Application June 11, 1957, Serial No. 664,991

3 Claims. (Cl. 294-51) The present invention relates generally to handoperated, combination snow shovel and plow tools, and more particularly to an improved combination snow shovel and plow tool embodying means whereby an elongated handle may be quickly and conveniently adjusted relative to an associated blade or tool head so as to condition the tool for operation either in the manner of a conventional snow shovel, or in the manner of a snow plow.

I am aware that the prior art discloses various forms of so-called combination snow shovel and plow devices wherein means are provided to adjust the handle member of the tool relative to the blade portion thereof inan attempt to render the tool operable either as a shovel or as a plow. However, to my knowledge, prior combination tools of this character have never made provision for relative adjustment of the handle and blade members in a manner by which the tool may be efficiently and comfortably operated in its respective capacities. In prior art devices of which I am aware, the inner end of the handle member is usually pivotally secured to the rear side of the blade member so as to permit lateral pivotal or swinging movement of the handle relative to the blade or vice versa, in only one plane, thus failing to make any provision for relative adjustment in the line of draft of the handle such as is ordinarily required between snow shovels on the one hand and snow plows on the other.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to improve generally on prior art combination snow shovel and plow tools through the provision of a novel and elficient means for connecting and selectively locking the handle element of the tool to the blade member thereof, in a manner whereby the single tool may be quickly and easily converted to either a snow shovel or snow plow.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combination tool of this character which incorporates a mechanically simple yet rugged mechanism for positioning and locking the handle member of the tool in at least two angularly related positions with respect to the blade member, that is, a first shoveling position wherein the handle member extends substantially centrally and upwardly and outwardly in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the blade member, and a second position wherein the handle member is disposed not only in laterally offset relation to the center line of the blade element, but also in vertical acutely angular relation to the blade member, in order that the tool may operate'efficiently in the capacity of a snow plow against which pushing forces are normally imparted.

For a further and more complete understanding of the present invention and the various additional objects and advantages ambient thereto, reference is made to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved tool showing the latter conditioned for operation as a snow shovel;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the present tool adjusted for shoveling operations;

Fig. 3 is a detailed fragmentary sectional view taken through the handle member and looking toward the locking bracket, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary rear side elevational view;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view, partially in vertical section, showing the present tool adjusted for use as a snow plow;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the present tool adjusted as a plow;

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along the line 99 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that the present combination snow shovel and plow tool comprises a substantially fiat planar blade 10 of generally trapezoidal outline formed with a forwardly disposed work-engaging face or side 11 and a rearwardly disposed handle-connecting side 12. Advantageously, the upper and lower edge portions 13 and 14, respectively, are slightly curved or rolled inwardly of the forward working face 11 for the purpose of more efiiciently channeling the snow and diverting the same laterally of the tool when the latter is employed as a plow device.

Rotatably or pivotally secured to the rearward handleattaching face 12 of the blade 10, intermediate the ends and along the central transverse axis thereof, is a bifurcated U-shape connector clevis 15. The rotational or pivotal connection between the clevis 15 and the blade 10 may, advantageously, be accomplished by means of a single headed rivet 16, as shown particularly in Fig. 4. An elongated handle 17 provided with the usual stirrupshaped handle grip 18 is pivotally connected at its inner end with the clevis 15 by means of a pivot pin 19. It will be seen that the handle 17 is mounted for limited compound or universal swinging movement with respect to the blade 10 and may be swung both in planes perpendicular and parallel to the general plane of the blade 10.

Rigidly connected with the rearward side of the blade 10, at a position above the point of connection of the clevis 15, by means of rivets 20, is an angle bracket 21. As best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, the bracket 21 extends rearwardly outwardly and downwardly from the upper portion of the blade 10 and is formed with a handle guide slot which includes a plurality of communicating, relatively angularly spaced keyhole slots 22, each having a relatively restricted throat portion 22a communicating with the main circular part thereof. The intermediate portion of the handle member 17 extends through the slotted region of the bracket 21 in a manner to restrict or limit the relative swinging movements of the handle 17 relative to the blade 10. Slidably and rotatably carried upon the intermediate portion of the handle 17 is a locking collar 23 having a relatively enlarged and knurled head portion 24, a relatively reduced shank portion 25 and a radially outwardly extending locking pin 26 spaced downwardly on the shank portion 25 from the enlarged head portion 24 (see Fig. 8). The diameter of the shank portion 25 of the collar 23v corresponds closely to the diameter of the larger or circular portion of each of the keyhole slots 22, but is greater than the width of the restricted throat portions 22a of such slots which width is slightly greater than the diameter of the handle. Thus, by reference to Figs. 5 and 8 of the drawings, it will be seen that the handle 17 may be locked to the bracket 21 and the blade by sliding the collar 23 downwardly of thehandle to telescope the shank portion 25 of the collar within the enlarged portionof either of the slots 22, and by then rotating the collar 23 to engage the locking pin 26 beneath the portion .of the bracket 21 adjacent the slots 22. Conversely, in order to unlock or free the handle 17 for relative adjustment with respect to the blade member, the collar 23 is rotated so as to first bring. the pin 26 into registry with the restricted throat portion 22a of any one of the slots 22, and by then lifting upwardly upon the collar 23 to disengage the shank portion 25 from the slot 22.

Figs. 1-5 and 8 of the drawings disclose the present tool with the handle and locking members positioned and arranged to condition the tool as a shovel device, that is, where the handle 17 is disposed in alignment with the vertical center line or central transverse axis of the blade and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the blade member. Figs. 6, 7 and 9 illustrate the present tool as the same is conditioned for use as a snow plow, that is, where the blade 10 is disposed in acute angular relation to the line of draft, and where the handle 17 is positioned in one of the side slots 22 of the bracket 21, with the handle disposed in laterally offset acutely angular relationship to the blade 10 and extending in a plane disposed in acute angular relation to the plane of the blade member.

In operation, for example, when it is desired to utilize the present tool as a plow to divert snow laterally off to one side of a sidewalk, driveway, or other path, assuming that the tool has been previously used as a shovel, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the tool is simply converted to plow condition by rotating the collar 23 to disengage the pin 26 from beneath the bracket 21 and the collar 23 is then lifted upwardly upon the handle out of the central keyhole slot 22 and the handle swung either rightwardly or leftwardly into one of the side slots 22. When the handle is properly aligned with the selected slot 22, the collar 23 is then inserted within the selected slot and rotated slightly in either direction to engage and lock the pin 26 frictionally below the bracket. This swinging of the handle from its central position of Fig. 1 to one of the side slots 22 not only disposes the blade at an angle with respect to the line of draft, but also effectively elevates the angle of the blade with respect to the horizontal, or, considered in another light, inclines the handle downwardly with respect to the blade member, in order that the line of force exerted upon the handle will be more in a direction toward the horizontal than toward the vertical, as is the case when the tool is operated as a shovel.

It will be understood that by employing a series of three triangularly related slots 22, as illustrated in the drawings, the blade may be positioned angularly to either the right or left of the line of draft of the tool when used as a plow, thus facilitating greatly the desired removal of snow in either direction along a given line of draft.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, yet mechanically efficient and rugged means of quickly and easily adjusting and locking the handle member of a combined snow shovel and plow tool between its several selected positions of operation with respect to the blade member. The present tool is further characterized by its ability not only to vary the lateral angle of attack between the blade element and the line ofdraft of the tool, but also to vary the vertical angle of attack while maintaining the angular position of the handle member relative to the operator, substantially constant. the comfort with which the present tool may be operated by the user.

While a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that various modifications as to details of construction and design may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a hand-operated, combination snow shovel and plow device comprising a generally planar blade having a central transverse axis and an elongated handle extending outwardly from said blade; means disposed along the central transverse axis of said blade and connecting one' end of said handle to said blade for compound swinging movement of said handle in planes both perpendicular and parallel with respect to the plane of said blade; bracket means carried by said blade in spaced relation to the point of connection of said handle with said blade for holding said handle either in a first position in which said handle extends outwardly from said blade in substantially parallel alignment with the central transverse axis of the blade, or a second position in which said handle extends outwardly in angular offset relation to the plane of said blade and in angular offset relation to a plane perpendicular to the plane of said blade and passing through the central transverse axis of said blade, said bracket means comprising a bracket having a guide slot therein in which said handle is movable between said first and second positions and retaining portions for retaining the handle in each of said positions; and lock ing means movably carried by said handle and engageable with the retaining portions of said bracket for locking said handle in either of said first or second positions.

2. A hand-operated, combination snow shovel and plow tool comprising a substantially flat blade having a forwardly disposed, work-engaging face and a rearwardly disposed handle-connecting face including a central transverse axis; a connector rotatably secured to the rearwar face of said blade along said central transverse axis; an elongated handle having an inner end pivotally secured to said connector; a bracketmember rigidly secured to the rearward face of said blade at a position thereon spaced outwardly from said connector, said bracket member being formed with a handle guide slot having a first handle-receiving slot portion into which said handle may be moved to occupy a position substantially parallel to the central transverse axis of said blade and a second handle-receiving slot portion communicating with and spaced laterally and rearwardly of said first slot portion and into which said handle may be moved to occupy a second position at which said handle is disposed in angular ofiset relation to the plane of said blade and in angular ofiset relation to a plane perpendicular to the plane of said blade and passing through the central transverse axis of the blade; and locking means movably carried by said handle and engageable with said bracket member for locking said handle within either of said first or second slot portions.

3. A hand-operated combination snow shovel and plow tool as defined in claim 2 whereineach of the slot portions of said bracket member are of general keyhole shape comprising a circular handle-receiving and retaining portion and a communicating relatively restricted throat portion of sufiicient width to permit movement of This greatly increases the handle into said circular portion, and said locking means comprises a collar rotatably and axially slidably carried on said handle, said collar having a shank portion of a diameter smaller than the circular retaining portion of each of said keyhole slots but larger than the restricted throat portion of said slots, said collar having a relatively enlarged head portion of greater diameter than the circular portion of the slots and arranged to engage one side of said bracket member upon insertion of the shank portion of said collar Within the circular portion of said slots, and a radially outwardly extending pin on said shank portion spaced axially from said head portion and engageable with the opposite side of said bracket member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 930,169 Exley Aug. 3, 1909 1,267,915 Shellabarger May 28, 1918 1,479,583 Carey Jan. 1, 1924 2,239,297 Allen et al Apr. 22, 1941 2,463,150 Camp Mar. 1, 1949 

